Remote tissue retraction device

Abstract

A medical device for managing tissue in an organ, such as the stomach, for retracting or positioning tissue and related organs to allow certain regions of the stomach to be acquired for a gastroplasty procedure. The medical device includes an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, and a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body. The tissue treatment device includes a first jaw opposite a second jaw, and each jaw is adapted to acquire tissue. A retractor is disposed along the tissue treatment device and adapted to be moveable from a delivery position to a retraction position to move or manage the tissue of the stomach. The medical device also includes a collapsible barrier disposed between the first and second jaws of the tissue treatment device to direct tissue into the first and second jaws separately.

We claim: 
     
       1. A device for managing tissue in an organ, comprising:
 an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end; 
 a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body, the tissue treatment device having a first jaw opposite a second jaw, the first jaw and the second jaw being movable between a closed position and an open position; and 
 a septum including first and second blades disposed between the first jaw and the second jaw of the tissue treatment device, the first and second blades having a sheet coupled thereto that is disposed between the first jaw and the second jaw, and the first and second blades being attached to an actuator that extends through the elongated body; 
 wherein proximal movement of the actuator is configured to pivot the first blade relative to the second blade such that the first blade is raised from between the first and second jaws to extend the sheet from between the first and second jaws. 
 
     
     
       2. The device for managing tissue of  claim 1 , wherein the sheet comprises plastic film. 
     
     
       3. The device for managing tissue of  claim 1 , wherein the actuator comprises a cable. 
     
     
       4. The device for managing tissue of  claim 1 , further comprising a pin that attaches the second blade to the tissue treatment device, the pin being releasable from the second blade so as to allow the second blade to be raised from between the first and second jaws. 
     
     
       5. The device for managing tissue of  claim 1 , wherein the tissue treatment device includes a slot formed therein that receives the first and second blades. 
     
     
       6. The device for managing tissue of  claim 5 , wherein proximal movement of the actuator is configured to pivot the first and second blades into the slot. 
     
     
       7. The device for managing tissue of  claim 1 , wherein the first and second blades of the septum are attached to a pulley, and the proximal movement of the actuator is configured to turn the pulley and raise the first and second blades. 
     
     
       8. The device for managing tissue of  claim 1 , wherein the proximal movement of the actuator is configured to pivot an end of the first blade distally relative to the tissue treatment device. 
     
     
       9. The device for managing tissue of  claim 1 , wherein first and second blades are attached to a pulley that raises the first blade from between the first and second jaws. 
     
     
       10. A device for managing tissue in an organ, comprising:
 an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end; 
 a tissue treatment device attached to the distal end of the elongated body, the tissue treatment device having a first jaw opposite a second jaw, the first jaw and the second jaw being movable between a closed position and an open position; and 
 a septum having at least two blades disposed between the first jaw and the second jaw of the tissue treatment device, the at least two blades each having a first end and a second end, and the at least two blades having a sheet attached thereto; 
 wherein the second ends of the at least two blades are attached to the tissue treatment device and the at least two blades are configured to move from a collapsed configuration in which longitudinal axes of the at least two blades are parallel to longitudinal axes of the first and second jaws, to a deployed configuration in which the first ends of the at least two blades are not directly attached to the tissue treatment device and move along an arc-shaped path. 
 
     
     
       11. The device for managing tissue of  claim 10 , further comprising a pin that connects at least one of the at least two blades to the tissue treatment device and that is releasable from the at least one of the at least two blades. 
     
     
       12. The device for managing tissue of  claim 10 , wherein the tissue treatment device includes a slot therein that receives the at least two blades after the at least two blades move along the arc-shaped path. 
     
     
       13. The device for managing tissue of  claim 10 , wherein a size of the sheet determines a maximum possible angle between the at least two blades when the sheet is stretched between the first and second blades. 
     
     
       14. A device for managing tissue in an organ, comprising:
 an elongated body having a proximal end and a distal end, the elongated body being configured to extend into a patient's body with the proximal end positioned outside of the patient's body and the distal end positioned inside of the patient's body; 
 a first jaw opposite a second jaw, the first jaw and the second jaw being attached to the distal end of the elongated body, the first and second jaw being movable between a closed position and an open position; and 
 at least one blade having a first end and a second end; 
 wherein, when the distal end of the elongated body is positioned inside of the patient's body and when the first and second jaws are in the open position, the at least one blade is configured to pivot, in response to actuation of an actuator at the proximal end of the elongated body, from a first position, in which the at least one blade is sandwiched between the first and second jaws, to a second position, in which the at least one blade is not sandwiched between the first and second jaws; 
 wherein moving the at least one blade from the first position to the second position directs tissue of the patient into the first and second jaws when the first and second jaws are in the open position; 
 wherein, in moving from the first position to the second position, the first end of the at least one blade moves distally along an arc-shaped path about the second end of the at least one blade while the first and second jaws remain stationary relative to the elongated body; 
 further comprising a slot that receives the at least one blade after the at least one blade pivots about the second end thereof. 
 
     
     
       15. The device for managing tissue of  claim 14 , wherein the first end of the at least one blade is configured to move distally along the arc-shaped path beyond a distal end of the first jaw and a distal end of the second jaw. 
     
     
       16. The device for managing tissue of  claim 14 , wherein the actuator comprises a cable extending through the elongated body and configured to be pulled proximally to pivot the at least one blade. 
     
     
       17. The device for managing tissue of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first and second jaws are pivotable about a longitudinal axis of the elongated body to move between the closed and open positions. 
     
     
       18. The device for managing tissue of  claim 14 , further comprising a sheet coupled to the at least one blade;
 wherein movement of the at least one blade from the first position to the second position causes the sheet to extend from between the first and second jaws. 
 
     
     
       19. The device for managing tissue of  claim 14 , wherein when the at least one blade is in the first position and when the at least one blade is in the second position, a longitudinal axis of the at least one blade is parallel to a longitudinal axis of the elongated body.